A major step toward being able to regulate nerve cells externally with the help of electronics has been taken by researchers at Linköping University and the Karolinska Institute in Sweden. The breakthrough is based on an ion transistor of plastic that can transport ions and charged biomolecules and thereby address and regulate cells. The invention, [...]
Archive for the ‘Molecular Cell’ Category
Novel mouse model of demyelinating disorder
January 15th, 2010
admin In the February 1st issue of G&D, Dr. Brian Popko (The University of Chicago) and colleagues describe how mutation of a gene called ZFP191 leads to disordered CNS myelination in mice — reminiscent of what is seen in human multiple sclerosis (MS) patients. The paper will be released online ahead of print at www.genesdev.org. MS [...]
Researchers Identify microRNA targets in C. elegans
January 11th, 2010
admin Regulating protein levels is key to biomedical research in humans and model organisms MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are non-coding RNAs that impact almost every aspect of biology. In recent years, they have been strongly implicated in stem cell biology, tissue and organism development, as well as human conditions ranging from mental disorders to cancer. For the most [...]
Researchers discover molecular security system that protects cells from potentially harmful DNA
January 11th, 2010
admin Researchers at the University of Minnesota have discovered a molecular security system in human cells that deactivates and degrades foreign DNA. This discovery could open the door to major improvements in genetic engineering and gene therapy technologies. Led by Reuben Harris, associate professor of biochemistry, molecular biology and biophysics in the College of Biological Sciences, [...]
Rules governing RNA’s anatomy revealed
January 9th, 2010
admin ANN ARBOR, Mich.—University of Michigan researchers have discovered the rules that dictate the three-dimensional shapes of RNA molecules, rules that are based not on complex chemical interactions but simply on geometry. The work, done by a team led by Hashim M. Al-Hashimi, is described in the Jan. 8, 2010, issue of the journal Science. “RNA [...]

Posted in
Tags:

